Recently, members of our (Dagestan) charity fund "Ansar" returned from the Turkish-Syrian border. Among them was the already famous readers of the “draft” Abu Umar Savitlinsky, a graduate of one of the Islamic institutes of Damascus, who has recently become an active public figure. We talked with him, and he talked about how the help of Syrian refugees gathered and what the representatives of the fund saw in tent towns.

- How did the idea arose about going to Syria?

- We all follow the development of events in Syria and know about the problems that the Syrian people faced. One of the main problems is humanitarian. I decided to create a group on the VKontakte social network, calling it "Syria is part of the Islamic ummah." I really wanted to contribute to facilitating the situation of the Syrians. We decided to make a small ten-minute video in which people were called to respond and collect some means for our Syrian brothers. It went as we did not even expect. Calls went from all over the Caucasus, from Moscow, Kazakhstan, Europe ... The brothers asked to open different details so that it was convenient for everyone to replenish accounts. It turned out that many people want to help, but do not know who. It is very pleasant that we still feel like a single ummah, and, as the Prophet said (Sollya Llahu Aleihi wa sallam), when one of our ummah feels pain, she responds in other parts of her body.

We announced the training camp in mosques, and the fees went. Even from the villages, for example, hymras, a jewel. Sometimes 50, 100 thousand rubles per day came.

-Did Juma-Micagling or the official clergy participate?

-Yes, about 700 thousand rubles were collected in Juma Mostens. Imam Muhammad-Rassul Saaduev was in the die, he called, instructed the Insan Foundation so that they participated, and in almost one day they collected about 700 thousand rubles and transferred to us. Moreover, they promised in the future to cooperate with us in this area.

After the active participation of Muslims at all levels in two to three weeks, about one hundred thousand dollars, that is, about three million rubles, were already about one or three weeks.

- How did you initially intend to transfer these funds?

- From the very beginning, we said, including in the video, that we will go ourselves, personally, we will buy what is necessary, and give everything to refugees on the border of Syria and Turkey. Al-Hamdu L-Llyakh, and it happened. We registered the Ansar Foundation, all published details belong to him, and we act on his behalf.

- That is, the total amount that you took - one hundred thousand dollars?

- Yes, and we can provide them with a full report. However, money for our accounts continues to arrive, and we, inhaallah, use it next time.

- How did you oriented in Turkey?

- They did not invent the bicycle, found similar funds that already have experience of such work. As a result, they found the Hairo-L-Ansar Foundation (Best Ansar) and its leader was also Abu Umar (laughs) . He knew Arabic very well and did what we were going to do, a month before us. Helped us a lot. I called the factories, workshops, so that we were given everything at wholesale prices.

Then we met the Syrians who organize such fees at the international level. We were invited to participate in the congress of these funds representing various states. One of the organizers was the same Karadagi who recently came to Dagestan.

In fact, the only fund that can be officially unhindered to Syria is the Ihaha Foundation, whose ship was bombed by the Israelis. And the "red crescent" too. So, they invited us to the press conference “Pulse of Life”. There were representatives of nine countries who, in general, raised a million dollars. It turned out that with our one hundred thousand dollars we were able to take a full part from Russia and Russian -speaking Muslims at the level of Saudia or Kuwait. They were very happy and accepted us. And we connected to a common caravan of trucks with our humanitarian load.

- And what exactly did you get?

-We consulted with Abu Umar from Hairo-L-Ansar, which was literally there. Basically, they took rice, canned food, blankets, potatoes, flour, pasta five tons, tomatoes and other products that do not deteriorate. Then, when we arrived at the border, we were told that people really need baby food, diapers, etc. One guy - Mukhlis - told how he sold his jacket to buy his little daughters milk. There is practically no work. And the salary where there is - $ 40 a month. I had to cancel some orders to buy baby food.

We flew forward to find out the situation for ourselves before the caravan arrives. Since it was necessary to navigate on the spot: after all, there are both large and small temporary tent towns in which refugees settled, and it was necessary to distribute everything evenly.

- What did you see on the border?

-The first thing we saw was Babu-l-Khava-a border zone. Right beyond the strip of borders there is a tent town in which six thousand refugees live. In one tent live six or seven families, men and women live separately. There was a kind of administration that looked after the settlement, we met with the elder, his name was Abdulkarim . Honestly, the situation was terrible: there was a stench in the town, the toilets are clogged, the sewage system does not work, the dishes are washed right on the spot, everything accumulates, the garbage is practically unnecessary, the water is disastrously lacking, people can not swim for a month or two, the children are chimazy, dirty, prepare there.

Nearby, the French and Italians opened the medical centers and say that almost every day they accept a hundred people from this town with poisoning, diarrhea, and cases of cholera are recorded. Right before our eyes, they brought a boy who was at death. There are no drugs, only Europeans help. Doctors also pay a salary of Europeans. Inside the town there was a trailer in which local doctors worked, and they also paid Europeans. They were going to leave, because they ended in contracts and there was no one to pay them. We agreed with them to stay, and allocated them a salary for some time through the administration.

- And everything that is collected for them really reaches people?

- No, not all. Firstly, many speculate on the troubles of these people: come, flaunt before cameras, give promises, earn authority and disappear. Seeing this, people do not even allow their settlements and tents, because they initially think that this is done for self -promotion and subsequent collection of funds that go into the pocket for those who do this. Even on many fences, people write: "We do not need advertising, we need business!"

It often happens that the load that has already arrived is plundered and sold. Sometimes the administrations of settlements, and sometimes intermediaries.

- Did other settlements visit?

- Yes, in one town in which 24 thousand people live, we helped with the mosque. There were two blind brothers, Hafiz (experts in the Koran) who asked us to organize a mosque. We still could not help such a big city with food. And the mosque in such a place is a very important thing. This is, firstly, the duty of Muslims, and secondly, spiritual support, greater organization, etc. We provided them with large Saudi tents, from which we organized a mosque. Also at the mosque they put a madrassas in which children can be taught to read and write - children are absolutely uneducated, unfortunately.

The Imam and the administrator of the mosque and the madrasah were appointed, and now he is also in touch with us.

- And with mud there you can not solve the problem?

- In this big town, we did what we could, it turned out that we decided spiritual affairs, and returned to small, six thousandth. The situation was complicated by the fact that this settlement is on the asphalt, unlike that. Water, dirt - everything accumulates, does not go into the ground and heats up under the sun. There is such a heat in the summer, it is impossible to be in tents. If the rain goes, then the water on the asphalt goes right into the tents.

They suggested that the administrations clean the town, they say: “For this we need a tractor, shovels, brooms ...” Well, without thinking twice, we went, bought shovels and brooms, hired a tractor, collected people, made lists and distributed work. They cleaned as they could, brought additional water, called a garbage car and agreed with the driver so that he would periodically come and take out the garbage, naturally, for a fee - we paid him in advance and instructed the administration to control.

In another town, when they started talking about dirt, the administrator says: “What garbage? We have a war! Every day, people arrive, we don’t know what to do with them! ”

- And what about security?

-In these border cities-more or less. And about food too. But even on this town of our town at the very beginning, when they only put the tents, flew the plane and dropped the bomb. Al-Hamdu L-Llyakh, people did not have time to settle. And then, deep into Syria, it is much more dangerous and almost nothing comes to them.

“What did you talk about, did you do before the caravan arrived?”

-Yes, and al-Hamdu Llyu that came in advance. We managed to do a lot and met people. In place, it became clear that food should be distributed by ourselves. Many do not understand the situation, simply send trucks and do not follow what happens to them later.

We took off the warehouse and unloaded our cargo. They counted the families, packaged everything in large packages, it turned out 550 families. For every 50–80 tents, the eldest was appointed. All families were given out on a package with food and a package with children's accessories.

Despite the fact that this is enough for a maximum of a month, the town revived. People were very happy about the care that those who participated in the collection of this help showed about them.

- Is there an intention to continue this business?

- We promised to continue to come and help with what we can. Of course, they got a lot of impressions. The Syrians are very good people, many hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (Sollya Llah Aleihi wa sallam) are transmitted about their dignity and dignity of their land). Today they were in this position, and Muslims cannot leave them and leave them without help. Indeed, for us a large test is one day without water, and imagine the conditions in which our brothers live. As the Messenger of Allah (Sollya Llahu Aleihi wa sallam) said: "Be merciful to those who are on Earth, and the one who is in the sky will be gracious." After all, the Prophet (Sollya Llah Aleihi wa salla) bequeathed to us to be a single body, the pain in one part of which responds in all. Let Allah help our brothers, strengthen them and give a speedy way out of this position. Amine.

"And for us and one day without water is a test." Abu Umar Savitlinsky - "Draft"